Trisha Biography: Age, Family, Movies, Karuppu, Vishwambhara & Latest News

Trisha Krishnan (born 4 May 1983) is an Indian actress who works mainly in Tamil and Telugu films. A former Miss Chennai, she became a leading star in the early 2000s with Saamy, Ghilli and Varsham, and is known for Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, ’96, the Ponniyin Selvan films and Leo. Often called the “Queen of South India”, she has won five Filmfare Awards South. In 2026, she starred opposite Suriya in Karuppu, his highest-grossing film, and her Telugu fantasy film Vishwambhara with Chiranjeevi is awaiting release.

Trisha Latest News (October 2026)

• Vishwambhara: Her Telugu fantasy film with Chiranjeevi, directed by Vassista for UV Creations, has been delayed several times. A September 2026 report said it may release around 20 November, but the makers have not confirmed this. Trisha reportedly plays a woman who comes to Earth from the mystical world of Vishwambhara.
• Karuppu (May 2026): RJ Balaji’s action drama, with Suriya, became Suriya’s biggest box-office hit, grossing around ₹282 crore worldwide by its third weekend.
• April 2026: She dismissed rumours that she was quitting films with a sarcastic Instagram story, joking that she had apparently married a rich businessman and was raising quadruplets.

Trisha Profile, Age and Wiki

Trisha Early Life, Family and Education

Trisha was born in Chennai into a Tamil Palakkad Iyer family. Her father, Krishnan, died in 2012, and her mother, Uma Krishnan, has long been closely involved in her career. She studied at Sacred Heart Matriculation School in Church Park and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Ethiraj College for Women.

While still a student, she started modelling and won the Miss Salem and Miss Chennai titles in 1999. At Miss India 2001, she won the “Beautiful Smile” award. She appeared in music videos and advertisements before film offers followed.

Trisha Career

Debut and Tamil Stardom (1999–2004)

Trisha first appeared in a small supporting role in Jodi (1999). Her first lead role came in Ameer Sultan’s Mounam Pesiyadhe (2002), opposite Suriya. She became a star with Hari’s action film Saamy (2003) and Dharani’s Ghilli (2004) with Vijay, which became one of the biggest Tamil hits of its time. The same year, she entered Telugu cinema in a big way with Varsham (2004) opposite Prabhas, winning her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu.

Telugu Success and Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2005–2012)

Prabhu Deva’s romance Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana (2005) won Trisha her second Filmfare Best Actress – Telugu award and her first Nandi Award. She starred opposite Mahesh Babu in Trivikram’s Athadu (2005) and won a third Filmfare award for Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule (2007). In Tamil, Radha Mohan’s Abhiyum Naanum (2008) won her a Tamil Nadu State Film Award, and Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (2010), in which she played Jessie, became a cult romance. She made her Hindi debut in Priyadarshan’s Khatta Meetha (2010).

’96 and a Second Peak (2013–2021)

After a mixed phase, Trisha won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Tamil for Kodi (2016). C. Prem Kumar’s ’96 (2018), in which she played Jaanu opposite Vijay Sethupathi, became one of the most acclaimed Tamil romances of the decade and won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil, along with SIIMA and other honours. She also made her Kannada debut with Power (2014) and her Malayalam debut with Hey Jude (2018).

Ponniyin Selvan, Leo and Karuppu (2022–2026)

Trisha played the Chola princess Kundavai in Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) and Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023), alongside Aishwarya Rai, and was nominated for Filmfare awards for both. Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Leo (2023), which reunited her with Vijay, became her highest-grossing film. In 2025, she had four releases: Identity with Tovino Thomas, Vidaamuyarchi and Good Bad Ugly with Ajith Kumar, and Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life with Kamal Haasan. In May 2026, RJ Balaji’s Karuppu with Suriya became a major hit.

Trisha Movies List (Selected)

Awards and Honours

• Five Filmfare Awards South, including Best Actress – Telugu for Varsham, Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana and Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, and Best Actress – Tamil for ’96.
• Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress – Tamil for Kodi.
• Nandi Award for Best Actress for Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana.
• Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Abhiyum Naanum.
• Kalaimamani award from the Government of Tamil Nadu (2006).
• First South Indian actor named a UNICEF celebrity advocate (2017).

Trisha Personal Life

Trisha is unmarried. She was engaged to businessman Varun Manian in 2015, but the engagement was called off later that year. She is frequently the subject of marriage and relationship rumours, which she usually answers with humour, as she did in April 2026 when she joked about having “married a rich businessman” and “raising quadruplets”.

She is a committed animal welfare supporter and has campaigned with PETA. In 2017, she became the first South Indian actor to be named a UNICEF celebrity advocate, working on children’s rights.

Trisha and Vijay

Trisha and Vijay have been one of Tamil cinema’s most successful pairs. After the blockbuster Ghilli (2004), they worked together in Thirupaachi (2005), Aathi (2006) and Kuruvi (2008). Fifteen years later, Lokesh Kanagaraj reunited them in Leo (2023), which became the biggest hit of her career and drew strong attention to their on-screen chemistry.

Why Trisha Stands Out

Very few actresses in South Indian cinema have stayed at the top for more than 20 years. Trisha has done so across Tamil and Telugu, with occasional work in Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam. Her career had a remarkable second peak in her late thirties and forties, with ’96, Ponniyin Selvan, Leo and Karuppu, at an age when many leading actresses are offered fewer roles.

Lesser-Known Facts About Trisha

• She won the Miss Chennai title in 1999.
• She won the “Beautiful Smile” award at Miss India 2001.
• She has acted in five languages: Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam.
• She was the first South Indian actor to become a UNICEF celebrity advocate.
• Her first lead role was opposite Suriya, with whom she reunited for Karuppu in 2026.

Related Biographies

• Prabhas Biography – co-star in Varsham
• Mahesh Babu Biography – co-star in Athadu
• Aishwarya Rai Biography – co-star in Ponniyin Selvan
• Anushka Shetty Biography
• Samantha Ruth Prabhu Biography
• More stars: Tollywood biographies

Trisha FAQs

How old is Trisha?

Trisha Krishnan was born on 4 May 1983, so she is 43 years old (as of 2026).

Is Trisha married?

No. Trisha is not married. Her 2015 engagement to businessman Varun Manian was called off.

What is Trisha’s latest movie?

Her latest release is Karuppu (May 2026), an action drama with Suriya directed by RJ Balaji. Her Telugu film Vishwambhara with Chiranjeevi is awaiting release.

What was Trisha’s role in Ponniyin Selvan?

She played Kundavai, the Chola princess, in Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) and Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023).

Which is Trisha’s highest-grossing film?

Leo (2023), directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and starring Vijay, is her highest-grossing film.

What was Trisha’s first movie?

She first appeared in a small role in Jodi (1999). Her first lead role was in Mounam Pesiyadhe (2002), opposite Suriya.

Why is Trisha called the Queen of South India?

The media title reflects her long run as a leading actress in both Tamil and Telugu cinema since the early 2000s.

How many films have Trisha and Vijay done together?

Five: Ghilli (2004), Thirupaachi (2005), Aathi (2006), Kuruvi (2008) and Leo (2023).

Which awards has Trisha won?

She has won five Filmfare Awards South, a Nandi Award, a Tamil Nadu State Film Award and the Kalaimamani honour.

Sources

• Trisha (actress) – Wikipedia
• Karuppu box office – The Week
• Vishwambhara new release date – The Hans India
• Trisha shuts down retirement rumours – ETV Bharat